Flexible-concrete-slab-revetment construction for embankments.



F. S. EDINGER. FLEXIBLE CONCRETE SLAB REVETMENT CONSTRUCTION FOR E'MBANKMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16. 1915.

Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- INVENTOR 512% B Y ATTORNEY WITNESSES. 557- .L

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 50., WASHINGTON. D. C.

F. S. EDINGER. FLEXIBLE CONCRETE SLAB REVETMENT CONSTRUCTION FOR EMBANKMENTS. APPLICATION FILED FEB.16, 1915.

Patented Dec. 21 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

WITNESSES F J INVENTOR.

: I d aff 74 A TTORNE Y COLUMBIA PLANOURAPM $70., WASHINGTON, D. c.

v iearnn'r ora ion.

FRED S. EDINGER, 0F BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOB, 0F ONE-HALF TO ARCI-IIBALID BORLAND, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

FLEXIBLE-CONCRETE-SLAB-REVET1VIENT CONSTRUCTION FOB EMBANKMENTS.

Application filed February 16, 1915.

Berkeley, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flexible- Concrete-Slab-Revetment' Construction for Embankments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates, in general, to revetments for the protection ofembankments, and, particularly to that type of revetmentfacings which are composed of concreteslabs, flexibly united to enable the facing to conform itself to the inequalities of the surface and to maintain itself in close relation thereto. Quite commonly it is the practice to unite the slabs by wires. These wires being exposed, soon corrode and leave the facing subject to dismemberment.

It is the object of my invention to provide a concrete-slab revetment-facing which shall be flexible and yet be fully protected in its articulations or interlocking joints, the slabunits being simple in construction and adapted to be readily laid together.

To this end my invention consists in the novel flexible concrete slab-revetment construction which I shall hereinafter fully describe, by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan of my construction showing the slab-units in their best shape. Fig. 2 is a section on the line :rm of Fig.1. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan View showing a modification in the shape of the slab-units.

Fig. 4 is an elevation, enlarged, of the pointfastening button in its best form, the view being on the line yy of Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the point portions of a group of slab-units, the top of the button being broken. Fig. 6 is an elevation of the pointfastening button for use along the lower edge of the construction, said view being on the line 2-2 of Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a plan View of the point portions of a group of slabunits of the lowermost row, the point fastening button being broken on top. Fig. 8 is a sectional view showing a modification of the point fastening button, on the line w-w of Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a broken plan view of the modification of Fig. 8. Fig. '10 is a sectional view showing still another modification of the point fastening button on the Specification of Letters Patent.

face of the embankment.

Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

Serial No. 8,461.

line 'vv of Figrll. Fig. 11 is a broken plan view of the modification of Fig. 10.

In Fig. 2-l is an embankment, which in this case, for the sake of illustration, is shown as a levee, the face of which is to be protected from the wave wash of a body of water 2, or from the ravages of insects or crustaceans, such for example as crayfish. The facing is composed of concrete-slab units 3. These may be reinforced or not as may be desired. Their best form or shape, for the purpose of universal flexibility, is triangular, as shown in Fig. 1. Their meeting edges are provided or formed with articulating instrumentalities which are integral with the body of the slab and of a nature which, while yielding flexibility on every side, will interlock them from relative sliding movement, that is, movement in a direction parallel or substantially parallel The best with the face of the embankment. form of these articulations I consider those here shown, namely, the complemental interfitting integral concrete tongues l, on each side of each slab. The meeting points of these slab-units must be assembled in a lock which will permit flexibility, and still will prevent them from drawing apart in a. direction away from or perpendicularto the This lock, in its best form, is a concrete-button and the best and simplest shape of the button is that shown in Figs. 1 to 5, and indicated by 5, which form comprises two flanges and a shank. The points of the slabs 3 are merely slipped freely between the button flanges and have sufficient play therein in a direction to and from the face of the embankment to not interfere with the general flexibility of the articulated revetment and yet not enough movement to allow the units to separate. The button 5 has its shank of circular or other suitable section to receive the meeting points of x the six slab-units which constitute a group of the hexagonal pattern formed by the triangular slabs, but at the lower edge of the revetment construction, where only three slab-units unite in a point, the fastening at this edge is a button 6, the shank ofwhich. is triangular in section, and the point of the middle slab of each group of three is cut off at 7 to lie against one of the flat sides of the shank of the button, this out off being far enough -sectionslower and upper.

back, as is best shown in Fig. 7, to permit the sides of the other two slabs, the points of which are not cut off, to lie against the other two sides of said shank. Thus the construction along its lower edge is locked together. It is best at the top edge of the construction to form the slabs with a hook 8 adapted to engage the hook 9 of a concrete anchor 10 on top of the embankment, as seen in Fig. 2.

The revetment construction as thus described is capable of modifications in several particulars-without departing from my invention. Some of these I will now point out.

Though the best form of the slab unit, as I have already stated, is triangular, because it yields universal flexibility, other shapes may be employed. Thus in Fig. 3 I show the slab-units 3 as square, and in this case the articulations on each side will be double ones, as shown at 11, to keep the units from slipping in either direction.

The point fastening button may also be modified. Thus in Figs. 8 and 9 I show a button 12 composed of initially separable Between the two sections, half in each, is formed a groove 13, in which the enlarged or knobbed points 14 of the slab-units 3 are articulated. A bolt 15 embedded in the lower section passes into a. socket 16 in the other section and ton 5 heretofore described.

Another modification of the button is shown in Figs. 10 and 11. In this form the button 19 is formed with a peripheral hook 20,. and the ends of the slab-units 25 are formed with a hook 21. These hooks articulate and are locked in place by a concrete plug 22, which is itself fastened by a bolt 23, the head of which is covered by a filling of concrete 24.- This form of fastening is also a complete lock for the meeting points of theslab-units. The simplest form, however, and that which I deem suflicient for all practical purposes is the buttom 5. It may be pointed out, however, that with the form of point-fastening-buttons shown in Figs. 8

and 9 and in Figs. 10 and 11, the slab-units will be both articulated and locked even if the lock articulations on the meeting edges of the unitsbe omitted and said edges be plain and simply laid up to meet and flex against each other.

1. A flexible concrete-slab-revetment construction for embankments, composed of concrete slab units, each unit being formed, on each of its edges, with an integral concrete complementary joint member of a flexible articulation, adapted to lock the units against relative movement in a direction parallel with the face of the embankment; and independent concrete fasteningmembcrs adapted to freely receive the meeting points of the slab-units and lock them against separation in a direction perpendicular to the face of the embankment.

2. A flexible concrete-slab-revetment construction for embankments, composed of concrete slab units, each unit being formed, on each of its edges, with an integral concrete complementary joint member of a flexible articulation, adapted to lock the units against relative movement in a direction parallel with the face of the embankment; and fastening instrumentalities for the meeting points of the slab-units consisting of independent concrete buttons adapted to receive and flexibly articulate said points and lock them against separation in a direction perpendicular to the face of the embankment.

3. A flexible concrete-slab-revetment construction for embankments, composed of concrete-slab units, each unit being of triangular contour and formed on each of its edges with an integral concrete complementary joint member of a flexible articulation, adapted to lock the units against relative movement in a direction parallel with the face of the embankment; and independent concrete fastening-members adapted to freely receive the meeting points of the slabunits and lock them against separation in a direction perpendicular to the face of the embankment.

4. A flexible concrete-slabrevetment construction for embankments, composed of concrete-slab units, each unit being of triangular contour and formed on each of its edges with an integral concrete complementary joint member of a flexible articulation, adapted to lock the units against relative movement in a direction parallel with the face of the embankment; and fastening instrumentalities for the meeting points of the slab-units consisting of independent concrete buttons adapted to receive and flexibly articulate said points and lock them against separation in a direction perpendicular to the face of the embankment.

5. A flexible concrete-s1ab-revetn'ient construction for embankinents, composed of concrete-slab-units, each unit being of triangular contour and formed on each of its edges with complemental hooks flexibly articulating said units while locking them against relative movement parallel with the face of the embankment; fastening instrumentalities for the meeting points of the slab-units, consisting of independent concrete buttons composed of lower and upper flanges with a connecting shank, said buttons freely receiving the points of the slabunits and locking them against separation in a direction perpendicular to the face of the embankment; and fastening instrumentalities for the meeting lower points of the lowermost row of slab-units consistin of flanged concrete buttons With a sham of triangular section, the slabs of said lowermost roW having the middle unit cut back at its point to rest against one of the faces of the button shank, and the points of the adjacent units being uncut and lying against the other faces of said shank.

6. A flexible concrete-slab-revetment construction for embankments, composed of concrete-slab units, and fastening instrumentalities for the meeting points of the slab-units consisting of independent con- 1% crete buttons adapted to flexibly articulate said points and to lock the units against separation.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of 20 two subscribing Witnesses.

FRED S. EDINGER.

Witnesses:

WM. F. BooTH, D. B. RICHARDS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

